parallaxerr

Funny how opinions vary, a user on CN said this was "useable" at low power. AR152 on AZ4....

Wow, that's just the sort of picture that's needed, really illustrates the size difference. I can imagine it now having seen plenty of 130/150p on AZ4 pics, thanks.

I noticed that about the OOUK scopes John, then I noticed the prices 🙁 Never mind, I thought it was a long shot and I'd rather a frac anyway. I wonder if the AZ4 would cope with one of the 152mm f5.9 variants? Probably not, I think they're closer to 11kg!

Yes I have thanks Ade and I've been in touch. I think I'll hold out for something a little cheaper, I've seen them go for closer to £200 but there are no others on the market at the moment that I can find. This particular one plus postage is getting expensive imo, they're down to £479 new now.

Thanks Russ, makes sense, that's a lot of weight on the alt axis. I found the CA bearable on my ST120 and a non-issue on DSO, which is what this scope will be used for exclusively. Need to find one cheap somewhere, I just missed out on a Phenix 150mm F5 frac on UKABS the other day for £90!!!!! Gutted.

It what way may I ask?

If I were to drop to 150mm aperture @russ, I think I'd just hang out for the frac at the right price given that I love the refractor presentation. What was the big no no with the 200pds, physical size, weight, vibration? Did you attempt any observing with it on the AZ4?

I agree Paz, the AZ4 is a solid performer, I wish I'd discovered it earlier to be honest. Also wish I still had my ST120 for DSO but the 4" ED is far more capable on planets and I dare say doubles etc.

I know, I know, bear with me on this one.... Earlier this year I downsized to one scope, a 4" ED refractor which I have mounted on an AZ4. I have been thoroughly impressed with the combination over the last few months viewing Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon. I can tell there's a lot more planetary potential in the scope when they eventually rise above the murk. The mount is performing flawlessly. I have it semi-permanently set up under a cover in the garden with a ground anchor set in the grass attached to a ratchet strap pulling down on the tripod spreader. The whole affair is rock steady and vibration is a non-issue with the frac which weighs in at circa 5kg with accessories... However, with the return of a little astronomical darkness in the early hours, I recently tried a bit of DSO hunting. It comes as no surprise that I've been left a little underwhelmed having been used to viewing DSO's with my old frac, a SW ST120. Unfortunately I can't agree with the common conception that better optics make up for a lack of aperture, the ST120 went much deeper than the 4" ED apparently can, no question in my mind. So, I have recently been searching for a used Skywatcher ST150 refractor. A fellow SGL'er tells me that for low power, he found the AZ4/ST150 combo OK. Now he was using the aluminium tripod and pier extension, I'd wager my arrangement is much sturdier. The ST150 does not look out of place on the AZ4 by any means.... But, there are few used ST150's available and prices are high so I got thinking about a reflector. Now, I'm completely new to Newts and don't relish the prospect of collimation, though I accept the common advice that it's no big deal. I certainly had no problems collimating an SCT in the past, which daunted me at first. The thing is, I read that due to central obstruction, a newt is often comparable only to a larger refractor, leading me to think bigger than 150mm/6in....next stop 200mm/8in. I've seen a C8 (203mm) on an AZ4 in this thread and that didn't look too bad either, zenith was not quite achievable, but I rarely observe above about 70° anyway. This isn't an option though, prices are higher than the frac. I must also add that a dob is out of the question due to the layout of my garden which consists of many tiers, steps and sloping lawns, which a tripod can obviously be adjusted to deal with. I have no aspirations to go down the big mount route again, it killed the hobby for me when my mount became a burden to set up, AZ4 it is. So, all I want is a light bucket that will sit on an AZ4, simples right? Anyone tried a 200p on one, even better, anyone got any pics of said combo? No amount of image searching yields a result, probably for good reason!! I'm quietly confident that this could work bearing in mind it will be solely for low power use and given that the mount is currently so stable, we're talking just under double the OTA weight. The issue I ponder is one of physical compatibility. What do you think? I'm now sat down in my holiday home, beer in hand awaiting your thoughts. Go easy won't ya!?!?! Cheers, Jon

Same here. Albeit a less expensive item, I received a dud scope from a "reputable" supplier which was a nightmare to get refunded due to a total communication blackout. Likewise - never again!

I feel resentment when I look at your avatar Steve.....towards myself for letting go of that Equinox 120 😥 Hope it's serving you well? My 4" frac can't deliver the same views, but it's a lot easier to set up, which is what I "wanted".

Do either of you experience any ghosting with the SW planetarys? That's the only criticism I've read of the TMB clones, and ghosting bothered me previously when I had it in my SLVs. If that's an old issue that's been sorted then they certainly are attractive price wise and they're available in the exact FLs I want.

Happy to say that I've got back to observing again recently after a few months dealing with baby related sleepless nights Given my horizons and the time of year, I've mostly been observing Jupiter and I'm surprised at how I've retained interest over several hour and a half to two hour sessions. Waiting for the moments of good seeing I've found is quite rewarding. My previous draw down of equipment has left me with a AA102ED-R refractor and a Baader MKIV zoom with X2.25 barlow, so minimal shall we say. Unfortunately the bug is biting again and I'm drawn to investing in a few EP's, specifically planetary ones to begin with. I have found myself observing Jupiter pretty much exclusively at the 12mm setting of the zoom with barlow attached, so 5.3mm giving mag X134, which seems to be about the atmospherical limit at the moment. Based on this, I think a useful range of EP's would be 4,5&6mm to fine tune for better/worse seeing and my initial thoughts were that EP's with less glass in would be best. Not wanting to fall into the major investment trap again, I was thinking circa £50/EP would be nice. Also my low level OCD means I'd REALLY like them to be in the same range by brand etc. I considered some circle T/V orthos which are readily available in these FL's but the zoom is giving me ~60° FoV and good eye relief, so the orthos would be less comfortable and my mount is manual alt/az, no tracking. Also considered Plossls in longer FL's to combine with the X2.25 barlow, but then that defeats the object by adding a triplet group of lenses and still offers less FoV. Others considered: TMB/SW Planetary & clones - desired focal lengths but reports of ghosting (this bugged me previously with certain EP's) £ Vixen SLV - Previously owned these, desired focal lengths, good but smaller FoV and some ghosting, £££ AA (Long Perng) LER - Previously owned, thought they were good at the time, 5&6mm only, 3mm probably too short ££ ES52° & 62° - Close enough focal lengths available, (4.5,5.5 & 6.5mm) but in different ranges with the current sweet spot EP in the 52° range ££ I keep coming back to the plossl & barlow combo option for some reason, cost I suspect, but would this really an improvement over the MKIV zoom? I've read so many Baader zoom vs fixed FL reviews now that my brain is mush, it's 50/50 opinion on which is best. Previoulsy I thought fixed FL EP's were better than my then MKIII zoom but I've had some pretty good views so far with the MKIV, which has the same optics... Are there some magical circa £50/EP gems out there, @4,5&6mm and in the same range, that I just haven't found yet? Or can you convince me to consider another direction? Cheers all, Jon

Hi guys, I'm still here loitering, despite being quiet of late. Our little bundle of joy has been teething terribly so sleep has become somewhat of a commodity, meaning I have achieved exactly ZERO scope time with the AA102ED-R I'm hoping to get out soon though. My horizons aren't the best so there have been few targets within reach of a 4" frac anyway, but things are coming around and there's always the moon when we're confident a good nights sleep can be had! P.S. I looked at the ZS103 at Kettering and to be honest there was nothing in my eye that justified the extra cost over the Altair equivalent. Yes, it's a robust scope with a quality feel, but so is the AA. The only real distinguishing feature was the livery, which unfortunately I found a little garish.

As if you don't know Mike! I updated the other thread with the details

Sounds good David, turned out nicely I have my name against an ex-demo Vixen ED103S but it's got to be perfect for me to take it, otherwise I'll be straight to see the guys at Altair Astro!

Kudos indeed, from a Tak owner

Agreed!

That looks the business David. It's going to be hard to ignore this on Saturday @ PAS as it has some features that stand out above the considerably more expensive Vixen that I'm considering. Notably the twist lock fittings vs the Vixens reportedly poor thumbscrews (without compression rings!) and the dual speed focuser. I notice you have ser. no. 0006 there and 0001 is up for sale on UKABS apparently a few years old. My point is that it appears AA don't sell many of these at all, probably why it's so hard to find reviews. I hope it performs under the stars. If there's any chance of first light before the weekend, please do report back ?

Excellent service from AA there. I actually discussed the issues I experienced with TS with Nick from AA via e-mail, so they're probably very aware now that the packaging spec from the manufacturer may need addressing. Nick invited me to visit the AA stand at PAS and run through all the scopes with me, which is a nice gesture. I feel the 102ED-R would probably be my choice too, if I go with Altair. I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the focuser David, as it is different to the other AA models and the WO ZS103 version.

I the interest of thread completion, I've just received my refund from TS. No quibbles, to be fair. I was expecting maybe a dispute over the cost of a dovetail because I mounted the scope to inspect, which left a nibble, but no, I got the full refund and without chasing too. During my search for a suitable alternative scope and reading various reviews, I see this thread found its way onto CN too, resulting in a lost sale or two. Now that it's all resolved I hope TS can sort their staffing issues out and perhaps consider dealing with complaints as a priority over just getting goods out of the door. A difficult balance to strike, I suppose.

That's a shame David, I hope my experience hasn't biased you too much. I wonder if we're expecting too much of these scopes, though the focuser on my £150 achro runs straight as a die to be fair and the often criticised standard synta R&P feels smoother than the example I had.....so maybe not. It's made me look long and hard at the other options in the market, only to realise that they're all of the same breed, mechanically at least, including some quite expensive WO scopes as you mention. There appears to be a very busy production line somewhere in China. I'm almost entirely on the Japanese side of the fence now, though my wallet is protesting it may be the only truly satisfying option. I'll be having some serious hands on time at PAS next weekend with a few scopes to see if I can find something just right.

That's basically how I read it Stu. At least TS state FPL-51 so there's no ambiguity, not that I'll be buying from them again.